God Gave Me You
by sunnymadden
Summary: Stories about how each member of the blended family touched each other's lives.
1. Chapter 1

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Jan Elizabeth Brady was sitting in the sofa in the living room. The house was quiet. Marcia at Girl Scouts, Greg at football, the other three children with their mom grocery shopping, and Alice had the night off. A rare thing for this house to be so quiet.  
Jan missed her dad. Not Mike, but John, her real dad. It was painful for her when he passed away of the sudden heart attack. The two of them had a special bond that she never did have with her mom. Although her and Carol loved each other, of course.  
"Oh, Daddy," Jan curled up in a ball and started to silently weep.  
"Are you okay, sweetheart?" Mike asked coming from the back of the house.  
"I just miss my other dad," Jan admitted not looking up.  
Mike went over to the sofa, picked her up, and hugged her tightly.  
"I love you, honey," he said not letting go of her.  
"I love you, too, I just get sad sometimes."  
"I know, I know my own boys feel the same about their own mom. It's alright."  
With that he set her on the floor and wiped away her tears.  
"Well, I think I'm gonna go take a bath to calm down," Jan said  
"Okay, Sweetie."  
She turned to walk up the stairs with a smile on her face and her soul comforted. She understands she is and always will be loved.

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	2. Chapter 2

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Carol lied in bed thinking about how she had met Mike. It was an ad in the newspaper for a part-time babysitter. Bobby had just been born and she was not yet pregnant for Cindy. She needed a break from being a stay-at-home mom to Marcia and Jan. She thought how perfect it could be.

That morning she went to their home on Palm Drive and met Mike and his wife, Mary. She thought Mary was beautiful. She had olive skin, dark hair and dark eyes. Her Italian heritage was apparant. He was handsome in his own right. Yet, she was happily married to her own handsome someone.

She sat down on their sofa and started to talk. They talked about their children; the most interesting thing being her daughter Marcia's first name was Mary also. Mary Marcia was Carol's paternal grandmother's name and she loved it, but called her Marcia so not to confuse her with all the other Mary's she had in her family.

The reason for the ad was that Mary Brady was just diagnosed with cancer and needed a babysitter for when she had to go have her treatments in the city.

Carol was heartbroken. Here was a young mom with two toddler boys and a newborn and she was sick.

She was hired on the spot. Mike and Mary liked her warm personality and the fact she was a mom herself.

She will never forget her first day with baby Bobby. Little Robert Vincent Brady was so funny looking he was cute. He was a good, quiet baby until it was bathtime. He hated water. He screamed and cried to the top of his lungs.

"It's okay, honey, you're okay." She would say giving him a kiss. Never did do any good.

'Come to think of it, I still have to coax him to take a shower', she thougt to herself amusingly.

Most of her time was with Bobby, Alice was in the picture even then. Mike and Mary figured Alice had enough on her plate with the housekeeping and looking out for Greg and Peter. Carol would often play with them so Alice could have a break and while Bobby was asleep. She even had the girls come and play with them on one occasion. All four seemed to enjoy that.

In a couple months, Carol had to quit. They had to move away due to her husband's long commute to work and also the fact she was pregnant again. It seemed serendipitous at the time since the doctor's said Mary was now in remission.

She distanced herself from them after the move. She thought she was there long enough to help them through their diffucult time and when it was over, it was simply over.

It wasn't until Feburary when Carol was in the hospital nestling baby Cynthia Lynn in her arms that her husband informed her of Mary's passing. She was only 35 years old.


	3. Chapter 3

"Hi, Mike," Carol says, walking into Mike's living room with baby Cindy in her arms.

"Hi, Carol. Let's go sit on the sofa."

"Okay."

"Would you like something to drink?"

"No, I'm okay, thanks."

The house was just as she remembered it over a year ago. It was cozy with white and neutral colors and nice, new looking carpeting. The living room furniture was all black and thank goodness, three little kids and white furniture doesn't really mix. Even the white walls had some paint stains on them.

'Probably Peter, he liked arts and crafts.' Carol thought to herself.

"Hey, beautiful girl," Mike said rubbing Cindy's hair. "You got beautiful dark hair."

"She's the only one of my girls that has dark hair. The other two were blond like me," she explaind turning to meet Cindy's smiling face. "She seems to like you a lot."

"Mind if I hold her?"

"No, go ahead," she says handing her to him.

"You're a good girl," Mike says kissing Cindy's cheek.

"She sure is, she sleeps most of the night and she has a hearty appetite, too. Where are your boy's?"

"Oh, Greg and Pete are playing at the neighbor's house down the street and Bobby is..."

Bobby starts to clumsily walk in the room as soon as his name is mentioned. He sees Carol and starts to run to her with open arms. Carol scoops him up on the sofa with them and gives her a hug.

"Hi, ya, Bobby," Carol says giving him a kiss.

"That's incredible," Mike says astounded. Like he recognized her.

"Baby," Bobby says pointing to Cindy.

"Yeah, it's baby, her name is Cindy," Mike says placing her on the sofa so Bobby can get a better look. "Can you give the baby a kiss?"

He plants one right on her forehead and Cindy starts to giggle. Mike and Carol can't help but smile at each other. How cute.


	4. Chapter 4

Peter Anthony Brady lay asleep on the living room floor. He was watching an old western on the t.v and passed out. There was something about old movies that comforted him. Probably because his earliest memories were sitting on his mother's lap and watching them. Well she watched them, he would fall into a peacful sleep at her breast with big brother Greg not far away from him.

He missed his mother and knew his brother did, too. When they were little Peter would cry with Bobby while Greg would go off in the other room by himself. Greg was almost always to proud to let anyone see him cry. He was very much the older brother. Trying to repress feelings and being a leader to his younger brothers.

He wakes up to someone kissing his cheek and stroking his hair. It was Carol in her nightgown and it was very dark in the room.

"How long have I been asleep?" he asks still groggy.

"Quite a while, I suppose. It's ten o'clock," she says still stroking his hair.

"I'm sorry, Mom."

"It's okay, sweetheart, don't cry."

He couldn't help himself. It hit him when he called Carol "mom". He loved Carol very much but he missed Mary. Why'd she have to go? He loved her so. Carol hugs him tightly and starts rocking him. She doesn't have to ask; she already knows. She has been through this with her own daughters.

"Are you okay, Pete?" Mike calls from the top of the stairs.

"Yeah," he says choking through the tears and not letting go of Carol.

"Come here, son," he gently commands.

Peter breaks off the hug and gets up. His legs feeling wobbly he makes it up the stairs to meet his dad who opens his arms for a hug. Carol starts to cry as father and son embrace each other.

"Go to bed, son, you're okay."

"Yes, dad," he says letting go of his father. He doesn't look at Mike or Carol but just straight to his room.

Carol makes her way up the stairs as soon as she hears the boy's room door shut. She meets Mike at the top and gives him a hug.

"God bless Peter."


	5. Chapter 5

"Bye, Dad," Marcia bends down to give Mike a kiss. "I'm having dinner at Jennifer's tonight."

"Okay," Mike replies reciprocating the kiss. "Make sure you are home by eight because you have school tomorrow."

"Okay."

He buries himself in the newspaper when he hears her shut the door. While reading about the current events of the day, he thought about his oldest daughter. He was a proud papa when it came to her. She has always been a beautiful, intelligent and popular girl. She was especially popular with the boys which made him cringe.

She was the same little girl that broke his heart years ago. He remembers the phone call from Carol telling him to please come over to the that time they had become close friends and liked each other a lot.

He rushed over to her house during his hour lunch break. There was an air of shock and panic in her voice that scared him. When he reached their house on Diamond Way, there were police cars, fire trucks and ambulances all around. He was terrified that it was one of the girls.

"Mike! Mike!"

It was Marcia. She had ran out of the house to meet him in the driveway. He remembered her wearing a plaid, pink dress with matching ribbons in her hair to hold up her pigtails. Tears were streaming down her face and Mike had all he could do not to cry himself when he saw her. He got down on his knees and hugged her for all he was worth.

"What's the matter, baby?"

"Daddy died, Mike! My daddy's gone!"

He couldn't believe it. The last thing he wished on anybody was to go through what he and his boys went through and now it was happening to a close friend and her daughters. In a burst of compassion and grief for the little girl still crying on his shoulder, he cried with her in the front lawn. He then saw Jan running down the front lawn, holding Cindy's hand.

"Mike!" Jan screamed all the way down the driveway.

"Come here, girls," he says letting go of Marica and scooping up the other two in his arms.

"Mommy's inside," Jan said through her tears.

"I'll see her soon."

"Ike, I wub you," Cindy says giving him a kiss.

"I love you, too, Baby," he says kissing her back.

"Okay, kids, dinner!"

Alice snapped him back to reality. Greg, Pete, Jan, Bobby and Cindy ran down the stairs excitedly. The smell of her delicious pot roast had been making them crazy with hunger all day. Carol helped by bringing out the mashed potatoes and and rolls while Alice brought out the main attraction. He sat down and took a good look at all the kids at the table. The five children he loved so much and the thought of the young woman who brought him to tears all those years ago.


	6. Chapter 6

"Greg," Mary calls to him. "Hello, precious!"

Greg is in a place he's never been before. He can't even describe it. It's so beautiful here, though. He is standing in a lagoon of turquoise water facing a brilliant indigo waterfall. The trees were the most spectacular green you have ever seen. The sun shone a bright gold against a sapphire sky.

"I'm coming, mom!"

It's so fascinating how he is moving in this water. He is literally walking on it. Hes not the least bit wet but he can feel the water at the same time. It's all very real to him. There are alligators on the banks but they don't pay him any mind. They seem rather gentle; just as gentle as the tropical fish that surround his legs. The birds flap their wings over head and squak with delight. Greg has never felt so at peace then he is now.

Then he spots his mother. She is sitting on a mossy boulder on the bank. She is wearing a long white dress with what looks like a gold belt around her belly. She looks like the vibrant, young woman he cares to remember. Not the broken-down, depressed woman she was during her last days. She looks totally at peace and gives off an amazing energy of love.

Greg wraps his arms around her and smells her hair. It smells like her favorite coconut shampoo she used all the time. It seemed like forever that he was standing there just taking it all in.

"I love you, Greg."

"I love you, too, Mom."

"Listen to me, now," she commands breaking the hug and takes his face in her hands so he can't take her eyes off her.

"If there is one thing that I want you to remember it's this; live each day as if it were your last. Life is beautiful, it's a gift. Don't waste your time feeling so sad about everything that happened. It was just my time. You must know that I'm at peace, I'm happy. You may not always see me, but I am there."

"But I want to see you. I miss you."

"There is no need. I am always here for you. You must open your heart to see me. Your heart is more powerful than your eyes."

"It just makes me mad that I can't come to you when I feel down or I'm angry."

"Go read the "Footprints" poem in the hallway."

Greg wakes up startled. The stupid alarm clock went off to let the boys know it was time to wake up. Peter and Bobby hop out of bed and into the bathroon immediatley. Greg just sits on the bed and rubs his eyes for a couple of minutes. What a dream.

He finally gets up and makes his bed. Changes out of his pajamas and into a pair boxers, a plain white tee, and a pair of khaki bell bottoms. A pair of plain white socks and a comb through the hair and he's rolling. He starts down the stairs to breakfast when something falls into the hallway. It was the Footprints poem.

The Lord replied,

"My precious, precious child, I love you and I would never leave you. During your times of trial and suffering, when you see only one set of footprints, it was then that I carried you."


	7. Chapter 7

"What are you doing, Greg?"

"Jesus, Marcia!"

She snuck up behind him while he was reading the poem and scares him half to death. He was so engulfed with the last lines. He knew now what his mother was trying to say to him in the dream.

"You know, that was a present my dad got my mom before he passed away."

"Oh really," he says not really paying any attention to her.

"Yeah. You know," she takes a brief moment to look around to make sure no one else is around. "I never said this to anybody so you better not open your mouth."

"Okay.." She was giving him that "look". You don't screw with Marcia when she gives you one of those. She can be nasty when she feels like being so.

"Well," she begins as her face softens. "When I was younger I would have these dreams where my father would come visit me. We would be in this almost paradise place. He always told me he would help God carry me through the bad times and he would never leave me. I would go back and read this everytime I would have a "dad" dream."

Greg stood there stunned. Could there parents be working together up there in heaven to ensure that their kids knew they were around and still loved them?

"Greg, you look like you've seen a ghost," Marcia exclaims laughing.

"You never know, I just might've," he replies have only half-jokingly.

"Will you kids come downstairs and have breakfast already! You're going to be late!"

"Oh, crap," Marcia says looking at her watch. It was 7:30. "She's right."

It's not long until all six kids practically trample each other down the stairs and run straight for the kitchen. Alice already had six plates full of scrambled eggs and wheat toast, which was devoured by the kids who had finshed in record time. They reached up to grab their lunches and out the door they went.

"Alice, those kids, I'm telling ya," Carol says laughing and plopping down on one of the breakfast table chairs.

"They sure do knock ya for a loop," Alice agrees as she cleans up the dishes.

"What would I ever do without you, Alice?"

"Are you serious?" she asks incredulously over her shoulder.

"Yes, I'm serious. It's a miracle this house hasn't collapsed from all the chaos!"

"It's a wonder you, Mr. Brady, and the kids didn't collapse from tragedy," she says wiping down the table. That comment hit Carol in the stomach and Alice could tell it did from the look on her face.

"Oh, gee, I'm sorry, Mrs. Brady," she says sitting down next to her and taking her hand. "I sure do know how to put my foot in my mouth."

"Oh, it's okay," Caorl says patting Alice's hand. "It is true though. It's a miracle."

"God never gives you anymore than you can handle," Alice says with her all knowing smile. "God gives you the people you need. God gave us each other."


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